Perhaps one of the most popular types of toys used through the years is that known generally as ball launching toys or simply ball guns. While a variety of such toys having different shapes and configurations have been provided through the years, all generally include a common structure in which a cylindrical barrel defines an interior bore or ball receiving chamber for receiving one or more launchable projectile balls. In most cases, a movable plunger is provided which may be moved rapidly within a plunger cylinder to produce a pressurized air burst which forces the ball outwardly from the ball gun in a firing action. A front seal is usually provided near the end of the ball chamber or bore to restrain the ball as air pressure builds to plunger motion until the seal restraint is overcome giving the ball a popping action or sudden launch.
Ball launching toys or ball guns have been provided which operate with either noncompressible balls such as table tennis balls or the like as well as compressible foam balls having resilient compressible bodies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,081 issued to Moormann sets forth a COMPRESSIBLE BALL LAUNCHER for use with a compressible closed cell foam ball. The launcher defines a ball quantity having a diameter generally larger than the foam ball for receiving a to-be-launched ball. The cavity defines a front constriction and is coupled to an air cylinder within which a plunger is movable. The ball is launched by rapidly moving the plunger forward compressing the air within the cylinder and ball chamber and forcing the ball against the front constriction in a sealing manner. As the pressure within the cylinder builds, the restraining force of the constriction is overcome and the ball is launched.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,842 issued to Moormann, sets forth a RAPID FIRE BALL LAUNCHER for launching a plurality of soft closed cell plastic compressible balls one at a time. An elongated ball receiving chamber defines a front constriction and a rear opening coupled to a cylinder. A plunger is movable within the cylinder to provide pressurized air within the ball chamber. A spring biased ball carriage is movable within the ball chamber and urges the plurality of balls within the chamber forwardly forcing the frontmost ball against the front seal. Thereafter, a rapid pressurization of the ball chamber is produced by plunger motion forcing the outermost ball outwardly in a firing or launching action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,820 issued to Olson, Jr. sets forth a JET LAUNCH TOY consisting of a jet launching tube defining a cylindrical bore therethrough together with a launchable missile. The jet launching tube includes a funnel-shaped catching arrangement having a backboard or diverting surface secured thereto. In one play pattern, a light ball such as a table tennis ball may be received within or caught within the funnel-shaped catching portion and caused to settle at the upper opening of the launching tube. Thereafter, a rapid hand strike at the opposite end of the launch tube with a cup hand configuration causes the ball to be launched. The outer surface of the backboard defines a hitting surface which may be used to strike a ball launched by another player as an alternative to catching the ball.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided some enjoyment and amusement for users, there remains a continuing need in the art for evermore interesting and exciting ball launching toys and the like.